THE DOCK FROM HELL

Saturday, November 26

We almost made it to New Orleans yesterday...but not quite.  Instead, we decided to dock just prior to the Harvey Lock in New Orleans at the Boomtown Casino for an onshore meal.  The waterway guide states that Boomtown "allows visitors to tie up along the bulkhead" and that "the casino welcomes visiting boaters."  It also states that you should "have some robust fenders in place to guard against contacting the steel walls of the bulkhead."  Boy, howdy, are they right!  (What they neglected to mention was the multitude of rebar pipes sticking out of the steel & concrete bulkhead at all angles.  What a nightmare!)  Fortunately, a tugboat operator tied up nearby saw our plight (as in how to get the boat close enough to the bulkhead so Al could jump off while at the same time not having Wind Dancer impaled on rebar) and we were able to throw some lines to him to get tied up.  Whew!  In any case, we made it, had a nice dinner, and this morning we took off, transiting the multitude of locks & bridges that it takes to get through New Orleans and across the mighty Mississippi.  We are currently at a nice little marina (Seabrook Harbor) just south of Lake Pontchartrain waiting for a front with a large area of thunderstorms to come through this evening and throughout the night.  With the French Quarter only a ten minute taxi ride away, we're going to treat ourselves to some Louisiana cookin', a Bloody Mary or two and some great jazz before calling it a night.  Wish you were here!

Tonight's low is supposed to be 60 degrees...which is also tomorrow's forecast high.  Yuck.  Then we're expecting the lows to be in the 30s for the next four days with highs in the 50s.     Chilly sailing but, with the wind behind us, it shouldn't be too bad.  We'll keep you posted.  'Til next time....